WT ousted in softball regional

Lady Buffs reach finals before falling to Midwestern St.

West Texas A&M battled back in the losers' bracket of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional softball tournament at Wichita Falls and reached the championship.

That's where the 22nd-ranked Lady Buffs ran into their nemesis. Tournament host and fifth-ranked Midwestern State defeated WT, 6-0, on Sunday and advanced to the national tournament.

WT (45-18) was 0-4 against Midwestern this season, scoring only one run.

The Lady Buffs earned their berth in the championship earlier in the day by defeating No. 21 Nebraska-Omaha, 6-4, holding on after taking a 6-0 lead after four innings.

WT starter Shelbey Cockrell (10-0) ran into trouble in the fifth, when Nebraska-Omaha made it 6-4 with a grand slam, but Marci Womack relieved and closed the door.

The top five hitters in WT's lineup combined to drive in five runs. Catcher Meghan Brown hit a solo home run in the second inning and a sacrifice fly in the third. Christie Russell hit an RBI single in the second, Kim LeComte hit a two-run double in the third, and Meghan Slattery hit a solo homer in the fourth.

The Lady Buffs avenged a nine-inning loss to Nebraska-Omaha in the first round Saturday.

Against Midwestern (53-8), the Lady Buffs managed only one hit - a double by LeComte - as Brittney Tanner (21-2) struck out 12.

WT was making its first regional appearance since the program was revived five years ago. The Lady Buffs return all but three players for 2011.